The McLaren F1, Ferrari 250 GTO, Lamborghini Countach, Porsche 911 and Bugatti Veyron Vitesse are among the cars we’ve driven in our CAR50 countdown. They all feature in a 109-page special anniversary section, and on our gatefold cover which showcases around £30million-worth of cars. That makes it the most expensive cover shoot in the magazine’s history.

The CAR50 list was compiled from the votes of nearly 7000 CAR Online visitors, and the views of CAR staff and freelance writers. British cars make up 30% of the CAR50 list, with icons such as the Range Rover, Aston Martin DB5 and Mini all securing high positions in the countdown. Italy is ranked second with 10 cars, while Germany took the bronze medal with seven entrants.

Cars originating in the 1960s proved the most popular, with 11 cars in the CAR50 including the Jaguar E-type and Porsche 911. The 1980s and 1970s ranked joint second with 10 cars each.